Médecins Sans Frontières is on the ground when there is a fire. Be it in Gaza, Ukraine or in other areas where people are in urgent need of medical help. The organization is active in over 70 countries worldwide. Médecins Sans Frontières often responds to new trouble spots within a few hours and is one of the first aid organizations on the ground. But what exactly does Doctors Without Borders do and how does the aid work?
The idea to found the aid organization was born at the end of the 1960s. Some doctors were so horrified by the suffering of the people in the civil war in Biafra (Nigeria) that they had to do something. They found it increasingly difficult to adhere to the code of silence of the organizations they were working with. The organization was then founded in 1971 by twelve doctors and journalists in Paris under the name Médicins Sans Frontières (MSF). Their declared aim was to provide medical aid quickly and unbureaucratically, while at the same time taking a public stance when events made it necessary. The aim was to draw greater public attention to the situation of those affected.
Today, almost 70,000 people work for the organization around the globe. Médecins Sans Frontières has also been present in Austria for 30 years. Since then, around 850 emergency personnel from Austria and Central Europe - including more than 280 doctors - have been sent on over 2,900 aid missions via the Austrian office.
Julia Leitner is one of them. The 38-year-old qualified nurse from Salzburg has been working in various countries for several years. She is currently working as a Nursing Activity Manager in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
How did you come to work for Doctors Without Borders?
Leitner: Ever since I did my training, I knew that I wanted to go abroad at some point. After spending a few months in Cameroon for an Austrian NGO and improving my French, I applied to Doctors Without Borders. My family was a bit skeptical at first, but the more I traveled, the more they accepted it. As there is WLAN almost everywhere, it is relatively easy to keep in touch with home.
After the admission procedure, you are added to a pool, i.e. a list of potential helpers. Of course, it's no problem to take some time off if you have other plans in the meantime, such as studying. You simply let us know when you are available again. A possible new assignment then begins quite unspectacularly with an email from the Vienna office of Doctors Without Borders. This contains a proposal for a possible assignment. You can accept or decline without giving a reason. Once you have agreed, you have between one and several weeks to prepare.
Let's play it out briefly: You receive a proposal, accept it and two weeks later you have to be in Cameroon, for example. What happens then?
Leitner: You are picked up from the airport, then you go to a headquarters. This is usually an office in the capital, where you first have a briefing lasting several days. During this briefing, you receive information about the security situation and more details about the project. Then it's on to the assignment location, where you get more detailed information about the aim of the mission and the tasks on site. And then you can get started.
Can you say that there is a certain daily routine for regular assignments that always remains constant?
Leitner: There is definitely a certain structure. Of course, there are differences depending on the project, but in principle the process is no different to here in Austria. There are ward rounds, team meetings and certain routine procedures. Of course, it is different if an emergency occurs or something unforeseen happens. But that doesn't happen every day.
Doctors Without Borders provides medical aid in conflict situations, natural disasters, epidemics and inadequate healthcare in crisis areas. Tens of thousands of helpers from the medical, logistical and administrative sectors provide support. They all act according to the principles of independence, neutrality and impartiality. The NGO helps everyone and also goes into conflict areas to do so.
Have there ever been situations that were dicey for you?
Leitner: I was never directly in an acutely dangerous situation. But you have to be aware that the situation can sometimes change very quickly. We have very good security briefings when we arrive on site and the security situation is constantly monitored and reassessed.
Wouldn't police protection sometimes be appropriate?
Leitner: Doctors Without Borders is generally against the use of weapons. We never travel with an escort, but we do have a sticker on the car that indicates that we don't have any weapons with us. Everyone on the ground knows that we are not armed. We are not political, we are independent and neutral. Our missions wouldn't work otherwise. That is also a certain protection.
Doctors Without Borders is a donation-funded, self-determined aid organization. In 2023, the movement comprised more than 69,000 employees from more than 160 countries. On average, how many people are involved in a mission?
Leitner: It's very different. But there are always certain roles: Project coordination, logistics, finance and human resources. And then, of course, the medical staff. If the situation on site requires it, we also bring in psychological specialists or even craftspeople.
Doctors Without Borders is primarily focused on medical aid. The patients always come first. In many cases, the organization also provides the necessary basic supplies. This includes the provision of food, drinking water, sanitary facilities and also blankets, mattresses or emergency shelters. Funding is provided by around 7.3 million individual donors worldwide. They generate 98% of the income. The donations are also used to finance projects that go beyond emergency medical aid. The "Access Campaign", for example, aims to make medicines available to everyone, regardless of their financial situation. "Medicine should not be a luxury good" is the campaign's motto.
Ms. Leitner, you have already been to Sudan, Haiti, Mali and the Central African Republic. You've probably seen a lot of bad things there. However, I would like to hear about your best experience on the ground.
Leitner (after a short pause for thought): I can think of two spontaneously: it's always a great experience when you feel that the knowledge you impart really resonates. I held a training course on pain therapy and then a participant came up to me weeks later and said: "Yes, now I've understood what you meant! And we've now implemented it in exactly the same way." That was a real "YESSSS" experience for me. It's just great when you see an improvement in the situation.
Another experience was the case of a patient with very extensive, severe burns. The team carried out the dressing change with my support. This two-hour procedure was necessary every day for more than two months. After that, every two days. The risk of infection from burns is very high. In addition, the hospital where the therapy took place consisted of tents. After about four months, we were able to complete the treatment together. The patient is doing well and can lead a normal life again. This is a very good example of how you can make a difference with a lot of patience, dedication and limited material resources.
A nice closing sentence. Thank you very much for your time and this insightful interview!
Sources:
Homepage of Doctors without Borders
Link for more information on the Access Campaign
Zoom interview in December 2024 with Ms. Julia Leitner
Photo copyright:
Doctors without borders
Add a Comment